


Not A Game

by Fallen_Prophecy87



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-10-17 14:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20622632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallen_Prophecy87/pseuds/Fallen_Prophecy87
Summary: Obligatory Crystal Gem Spinel fic because she really is Crystal Gem material. But I wanted this one to be unique, so Pink didn't come back and never really cared about Earth. Spinel found out after a broadcast announcing the progress made. Spinel was originally just going to admit defeat in terms of the game and go meet Pink, but she became attached to the planet, eventually becoming the first Crystal Gem. Of course, other CGs will show, but some, Pearl for example, will not since Pink never became Rose.That's uh...about it really. Enjoy everyone!





	1. Here in the Garden

Spinel stood as still as she could in the garden, waiting for her best friend to return, congratulating her on winning her hardest game yet. At least, she thought it was her hardest. Standing still was never something she was very good at, she was designed to always be bouncing around in joy so she could bring a smile to Pink's face! But if she tried really hard, she could stay still if it would make her happy. Nearly 6000 years now...wow, this must be a really hard game!

-A few years later-

Spinel stood as still as she could in the garden, waiting for her best friend to return, congratulating her on winning her hardest game yet. At least, she thought Pink was her best friend. Did best friends leave each other alone for 6000 years? This game wasn't really as fun as it was when she started. She felt really stiff from not moving and the garden wasn't much to look at now it had all withered and died. Spinel sighed. Surely something would happen soon? There she stood, staring intently at the warp pad until a light began to glow from behind her. The communicator? How did that still work? Spinel, slightly confused, turned her head just enough to get a look at the screen. The screen was partly static and the audio seemed muffled, but it was undeniably Pink on the screen. She was speaking about her colony, Earth it sounded like. Apparently it was safe for some gems to travel their now, starting with anyone from her court. Well, that included Spinel, right? But that meant she'd lose her game... Spinel watched the remainder of the broadcast, surprised by how much her friend had changed. She didn't look as small as she did when they played together and had a much more serious expression. Well, that wouldn't do! Nobody should be so serious all the time! Game or no game, Pink needed her best friend to make her smile again! Spinel spoke for the first time in 6000 years, in a voice that didn't really sound like hers anymore. "Ready or not, Pink, here I come!" She lifted her legs up one at a time in a sort of march to loosen them up, breaking the vines that had grown over her shoes. She then stretched her arms as she walked, not moving them too far so she didn't hurt herself. She went past all the broken columns, past the warp pad, past all the dead forget-me-nots until she reached the spare ship Pink always kept here in case her other one broke down. It looked beautiful, in the shape of a heart and still shining like it had when Pink first landed it in the garden, the only thing not broken down. Spinel found the door ( this one wasn't activated only by diamonds, it seemed to be one any gem could use ) and opened it up, stepping inside as all the lights lit up, bathing the ship in a pink glow. It took a while, but in the end she figured out how to go to Earth by pressing every single button one by one until it worked. The ship lifted itself from the ground and started flying towards a little blue and green planet in the distance. Spinel fixed her hair, putting it back into two heart-shaped buns but leaving a few tufts here and there. She liked it like that, it was a little more comfortable. 

NOW ARRIVING ON EARTH...


	2. Other Friends

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spinel meets Pink's other friend and discovers some unfortunate news.

The ship landed near what looked like a kindergarten, based on Pink's previous descriptions of them. Spinel sprang out with her signature grin spread across her face. So this was what Earth looked like, huh? Lots of plants, kinda like the garden! Well, she could admire the little planet later. First, she had to find Pink. Spinel's legs coiled into springs and launched her into the kindergarten, where a familiar gem was organising groups of newly-formed Quartz soldiers. Spinel's grin only widened when she spotted Pearl near the gems. She bounded towards them, shouting "HEY, PEARL!" as she went, earning her some strange looks from the Quartz group. Pearl jumped a little before turning to face Spinel. "And you would be?"  
Spinel chuckled slightly. "Very funny, Pearl. It's me, Spinel! Pink's best bud!"  
Pearl frowned before responding. "Pink Diamond has no Spinel in her court."  
Spinel's grin faded a little. "Pearl, if this is a joke, it's kinda mean. I know it's been a few years, but you remember me, right?"  
Pearl sighed. "Pink Diamond has no Spinel and she never would, they are far too childish and only care about their stupid games. So no, I do not remember you."  
Spinel felt...something. She didn't like it, it was making her eyes burn. She didn't seem to be smiling so much as grimacing anymore, so she tried to brighten a little before responding. "Well, that's okay. Ask Pink if she remembers her best friend, would ya? I'll, uh...wait somewhere else, I don't think the Quartzes here like me very much."  
Pearl looked irritated at this point. "If it will finally dispel your delusions, yes, I will ask Pink Diamond if she remembers you. Now, please...just leave and stop distracting the Quartz soldiers, they have places to be."  
Spinel sprang back out of the kindergarten as that feeling got worse. She sat on top of her ship before looking around at the grassy area, so harshly contrasting the barren kindergartens. This planet really was beautiful...looking at it made her eyes burn less and her grin brighten. Her buns waved slightly in the breeze as she sat there, watching the world go by. It wasn't exactly like the garden, there was always something to see, whether it was a small stripy insect with wings going by or a new group of Quartz gems running off towards some distant fields. She still didn't enjoy being still as much as springing around like she was designed to do, of course, but it still felt pretty swell being somewhere different.

Spinel must have been sitting up there a few hours before she heard a voice. "Spinel?" Wait, that was Pearl! Maybe she was finally ready to end her joke and say hi to her pal? Spinel jumped down from her ship's roof with a smug grin on her face, landing just in front of her. "So, game over? Do you admit that you still recognise Pink's best friend?" Pearl sighed again. "I spoke to Pink Diamond. She does not know a Spinel, and certainly has none in her court." Before Spinel could respond, Pearl turned away, walking back to the kindergarten, leaving Spinel alone with that horrible feeling burning her eyes once again. She sat down against her ship and..."cried". At least, that's what Pink told her this was when she'd been doing it once back in the garden. That hadn't lasted long, of course, it was almost too easy to get a laugh out of her back then. But what Spinel did remember was that people only cried when they were sad. But here she was, crying, even though Spinel gems are specifically designed to be happy and make others feel the same way! This shouldn't even be possible unless she was...defective...  
Wait, that couldn't be right, could it? She wasn't defective! She'd always been cheery and made Pink smile! ...Except for a while before they started playing the waiting game, when Pink didn't seem to be having fun anymore. Nothing Spinel did then brought a genuine smile, only those weird fake ones that just looked kinda sad. Was that why they played the waiting game, because she was defective and Pink didn't want to play an actual game with her?  
Was it ever even a game?  
Spinel sat there for a long time, wondering how long it had been since the two had played a game they both actually enjoyed. Pink stopped enjoying her games, and Spinel didn't enjoy the waiting "game", if it even was that. But what she didn't understand was why Pink stopped enjoying them. She'd been having fun for years before that, Spinel made sure of it. It was never the same old thing. She'd juggled before? Maybe she'd try dancing! She'd finished dancing? How about a song?  
Spinel thought about this a while longer before she remembered what Pearl said. "Pink Diamond has no Spinel and she never would, they are far too childish and only care about their stupid games..." she muttered to herself, her buns drooping a little. Was that it, then? Pink outgrew her and cast her aside as a now useless source of entertainment?  
Spinel wanted to speak to Pink, try to jog her memory and maybe even be friends again. But she wasn't ready, not yet. This wasn't like a game, she couldn't try again if she messed it up. She had to really think about what she would say.  
Spinel stood up, planning to wander a bit while she mulled it over. She gently wiped the last few tears from her eyes before setting off, muttering one last thought to herself.  
"If Pink changed, I'll just have to change too.."


	3. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new friend joins Spinel and Spinel begins to uncover the truth.

They...no, she had been hiding for a while now. Quartz soldiers had been coming past every now and then, so she couldn't risk traveling right now. It didn't help that her future vision wasn't working the way it did when she was alone. She couldn't see what was going to happen anymore, instead she saw multiple possibilities all at once and it was too confusing to figure out what was likely. She'd get used to it, though, just like how she got used to being together all those years ago. Just like how she got used to running and hiding, even after Blue Diamond left.   
Garnet had to get used to it. The alternative was being shattered.

More time had passed, a few hours if Garnet was remembering time on Earth correctly. The groups of soldiers were passing less and less frequently now, so she should be able to move on safely. She was just about to get out of the bushes when she heard footsteps approaching. She froze where she was and watched until a small, friend-shaped gem appeared. A Spinel. More specifically, a pink Spinel. Her shoes squeaked quietly as she walked and her heart-shaped buns bobbed up and down. She seemed rather cheerful, but what was odd was that this particular Spinel was alone, not clinging to or even walking with a friend. The Spinel seemed like she wasn't going to be stopping anytime soon, so Garnet thought she could just wait a few more seconds and get out of there when the Spinel had passed by.  
Then she lost her balance.  
Garnet had just started to get up when she froze, and a person can only stay in that position for so long before falling over, landing just behind the Spinel, who turned to look at the fusion.  
"Huh, never seen a gem like you before."  
The Spinel pulled Garnet to her feet with a smile, and Garnet couldn't help but feel safe; this gem seemed to have friendliness practically oozing off of her.  
She realised that the Spinel was smiling patiently at her, probably waiting for a response. Both Ruby and Sapphire were panicking, but eventually, she spoke.  
"I'm...uh...new." Yes, that seemed safe enough. Not a lie, not giving her away, not too suspicious. The Spinel's grin stretched further across her face as she chuckled. "It's swell to meet ya, New, I'm Spinel!"  
Right. Spinels loved jokes and anything else that might get people to laugh or even smile. And as much as she tried not to, she did smile at the short gem and her playful joking. Gems like Spinel shouldn't have to worry about shattering and fighting and hiding, they're too sweet and innocent for that kind of thing.  
Maybe Garnet could help keep her out of this...

Spinel was having a pretty good time without Pink, actually. She'd already found someone new and made them laugh, and there were so many cool things to see on Earth! She even felt better after earlier. Maybe she didn't need to always be with Pink. She did still need to go meet her, though...  
And she had questions about this new gem. Why did it seem like she was hiding? Who was she hiding from? Why did she seem afraid of a friendly little Spinel?  
She couldn't help but feel like this new gem wasn't something the Diamonds wanted...


End file.
